POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND CELL ASSEMBLY CONTROL METHOD

• US 20100201318A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kohei, Aoki, Mamoru, Sugiyama, Shigeyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/679,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The power supply system of the present invention includes: a cell assembly in which a first assembled battery, formed from a plurality of first cells connected in series, and a second assembled battery, formed from a plurality of second cells connected in series, are connected in parallel; and a generator for charging the cell assembly. The cell assembly is configured such that an average charging voltage V1 as a terminal voltage when the first assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity is set to be a voltage that is smaller than an average charging voltage V2 as a terminal voltage when the second assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A power supply system, comprising:

a cell assembly in which a first assembled battery, formed from a plurality of first cells as nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries connected in series, and a second assembled battery, formed from a plurality of second cells as alkaline storage batteries connected in series, are connected in parallel; and

a generator for charging the cell assembly, wherein

the cell assembly is configured such that an average charging voltage V1 as a terminal voltage, when the first assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity, is set to be a voltage that is smaller than an average charging voltage V2 as a terminal voltage, when the second assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity.

26. The power supply system according to claim 25, comprising:

a voltage measurement unit for measuring a voltage of the first assembled battery; and

a control unit for controlling a voltage of the cell assembly based on a measurement result of the voltage measurement unit, wherein

the control unit performs control so as to stop the charge to the first assembled battery when the voltage of the first assembled battery measured by the voltage measurement unit reaches an upper limit voltage Va.

27. The power supply system according to claim 25, comprising:

a voltage measurement unit for measuring a voltage of the respective first cells configuring the first assembled battery; and

a control unit for controlling a voltage of the cell assembly based on a measurement result of the voltage measurement unit, wherein

the control unit performs control so as to stop the charge to the first assembled battery when a voltage of any of the first cells configuring the first assembled battery measured by the voltage measurement unit reaches a cell upper limit voltage.

28. The power supply system according to claim 26, further comprising a switch for switching ON/OFF a connection between the generator and the first assembled battery, wherein

the control unit controls the switch to turn OFF the connection when a voltage of the first assembled battery measured by the voltage measurement unit reaches an upper limit voltage Va.

29. The power supply system according to claim 27, further comprising a switch for switching ON/OFF the connection between the generator and the first assembled battery, wherein

the control unit controls the switch to turn OFF the connection when a voltage of any of the first cells configuring the first assembled battery measured by the voltage measurement unit reaches a cell upper limit voltage.

30. The power supply system according to claim 25,

wherein a ratio V2/V1 of an average charging voltage V1 of the first assembled battery to an average charging voltage V2 of the second assembled battery is set within a range of 1.01 or more and 1.18 or less.

31. The power supply system according to claim 25, wherein lithium composite oxide containing cobalt is used as an active material of a positive electrode of the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

32. The power supply system according to claim 25, wherein, when the number of the first cells in the first assembled battery is n_A, the forced discharge start voltage Va is set within a range of 4.05n_AV or more and 4.15n_AV or less.

33. The power supply system according to claim 25, wherein the first assembled battery is configured in which a third cell of an alkaline storage battery is further connected in series to a plurality of first cells connected in series.

34. The power supply system according to claim 33, wherein a capacity of the third cell is larger than a capacity of the first cell.

35. The power supply system according to claim 33, wherein, when the number of the first cells in the first assembled battery is n_A and the number of third cells is n_C, the upper limit voltage Va is set within a range of (4.05n_A+1.4n_C)V or more and (4.15n_A+1.4n_C)V or less.

36. A method of controlling a cell assembly in which a first assembled battery, formed from a plurality of first cells as nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries connected in series, and a second assembled battery, formed from a plurality of second cells as alkaline storage batteries connected in series, are connected in parallel, and an average charging voltage V1 of the first assembled battery is set to be a voltage that is smaller than an average charging voltage V2 of the second assembled battery,

the method comprising:

a step (a) of measuring a voltage of the first assembled battery; and

a step (b) of controlling to stop the charge to the first assembled battery when the voltage of the first assembled battery measured in the step (a) reaches an upper limit voltage Va.

37. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 36, wherein, in the step (b), a switch for switching ON/OFF a connection between a generator and the first assembled battery is used to perform control to turn OFF the connection when a voltage of the first assembled battery measured in the step (a) reaches the upper limit voltage Va.

38. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 36, wherein

the step (a) includes a step of measuring a voltage of the respective cells A configuring the first assembled battery, and

control is performed to stop the charge to the first assembled battery when a voltage of any of the first cells configuring the first assembled battery measured by the voltage measurement unit reaches the cell upper limit voltage.

39. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 36, wherein a ratio V2/V1 of the average charging voltage V1 and the average charging voltage V2 is set within a range of 1.01 or more and 1.18 or less.

40. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 36, wherein lithium composite oxide containing cobalt is used as an active material of a positive electrode of the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

41. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 36, wherein, when the number of the first cells configuring the first assembled battery is n_A, the upper limit voltage Va is set within a range of 4.05n_AV or more and 4.15n_AV or less.

42. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 36, wherein the first assembled battery is configured in which a third cell of an alkaline storage battery being additionally connected in series to a plurality of first cells connected in series.

43. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 42, wherein the third cell having a capacity larger than a capacity of the first cell is used.

44. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 43, wherein, when the number of the first cells in the first assembled battery is n_A and the number of the third cells is n_C, the upper limit voltage Va is set within a range of (4.05n_A+1.4n_C)V or more and (4.15n_A+1.4n_C)V or less.

45. A power supply system, comprising:

a cell assembly in which a first assembled battery, formed from a plurality of first cells connected in series, and a second assembled battery, formed from a plurality of second cells connected in series, are connected in parallel; and

a generator for charging the cell assembly, wherein

the cell assembly is configured such that an average charging voltage V1 as a terminal voltage, when the first assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity, is set to be a voltage that is smaller than an average charging voltage V2 as a terminal voltage, when the second assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity,

the first assembled battery further includes a third cell of an alkaline storage battery connected in series to the plurality of first cells connected in series, and

a capacity of the third cell is larger than a capacity of the first cell.

46. A power supply system, comprising:

a cell assembly in which a first assembled battery, formed from a plurality of first cells connected in series, and a second assembled battery, formed from a plurality of second cells connected in series, are connected in parallel; and

a generator for charging the cell assembly, wherein

the cell assembly is configured such that an average charging voltage V1 as a terminal voltage, when the first assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity, is set to be a voltage that is smaller than an average charging voltage V2 as a terminal voltage, when the second assembled battery reaches a charging capacity that is half of a full charge capacity,

the first assembled battery further includes a third cell of an alkaline storage battery connected in series to the plurality of first cells connected in series, and

when the number of the first cells in the first assembled battery is n_A and the number of third cells is n_C, the upper limit voltage Va is set within a range of (4.05n_A+1.4n_C)V or more and (4.15n_A+1.4n_C)V or less.

47. A method of controlling a cell assembly in which a first assembled battery, formed from a plurality of first cells connected in series, and a second assembled battery, formed from a plurality of second cells connected in series, are connected in parallel, the first assembled battery further includes a third cell of an alkaline storage battery connected in series to the plurality of first cells connected in series, a capacity of the third cell is larger than a capacity of the first cell, and an average charging voltage V1 of the first assembled battery is set to be a voltage that is smaller than an average charging voltage V2 of the second assembled battery,

the method comprising:

a step (a) of measuring a voltage of the first assembled battery; and

a step (b) of controlling to stop the charge to the first assembled battery when the voltage of the first assembled battery measured in the step (a) reaches an upper limit voltage Va.

48. The method of controlling a cell assembly according to claim 47, wherein, when the number of the first cells configuring the first assembled battery is n_A and the number of third cells is n_C, the uppler limit voltage Va is set within a range of (4.05n_A+1.4n_C)V or more and (4.15n_A+1.4 n_C)V or less.